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Book Review

Reviewed by Cheryl E. Rodriguez for Readers' Favorite

Travis Pearson pens an exciting action thriller in The Last Defender. The country had elected The Socialist as their supreme leader. His administration promised idealistic changes, yet the changes are far from ideal. The country is in a state of hopelessness and economic despair. Demonstrators protest, families are distraught about the disappearances of loved ones, violence runs rampant. The Department of Internal Security has free reign to seize and control anyone they choose. One man, Brent Stevens, begins to see through their diabolical masquerade. Through his research, Brent develops a powerful energy device. Harnessing its power, Brent fights back. Is he a superhero, a legend, or simply the last line of defense against The Socialist's regime?

The Last Defender by Travis Pearson portrays the story of a crusading hero and his band of mighty warriors. The narrative’s setting is a society that has been conditioned to become politically correct in all aspects of life. The aftermath of this conditioning provides easy access for the domineering Socialist regime. The antagonist entity, a man only known as The Socialist, builds his administration on deceit and then fortifies his control by reeducating his citizens through scientific and dehumanization processes. Pearson writes a compelling story; the technique of not giving names, but using titles for his primary villainous characters was creative, adding a depth of intrigue. The protagonist is a man with high hopes and dreams of a brighter tomorrow. However, to achieve these dreams, he must use his invented powers. Thus, an urban legend is born. In a world where superheroes are all the rage, The Last Defender doesn’t disappoint.

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Lit Amri

In The Last Defender by Travis Pearson, the promise of the Socialist government to reverse the country’s economic decline was unfulfilled. Instead, the economy became worse with the rise of unemployment, excessively restrictive regulations, and taxation. The Department of Internal Security is aggressively policing the public and people are missing under the government’s ‘reeducation’ program. Brent Stevens－a researcher at Pure Research, Inc. who had been demoted to assembly line manager－continues his project covertly on his own. When his friend dies due to an assault from government thugs, the product of his research helps him to be the protector of the people. The question is, how far can he go in his effort against the authorities when so many have failed?

The premise is intriguing and I like the satirical political views as well as the characterization of the Socialist, the Economist, and the Scientist. That said, the message of the story wasn’t easy to pin down at first, and the way the plot escalates in the final act is unexpected. The development of the plot became slightly strange for me, particularly with the appearance of mindless, controlled ‘beings’. Certain scenes have a slight sadistic element to them that might alienate some readers. On the other hand, the prose is clear and the narrative is straightforward. Some parts can be more concise but they barely put a dent in the story flow. All in all, Pearson’s The Last Defender is a cautionary tale dosed with fantastical elements about totalitarianism that is frighteningly relevant to our world today.

Renee Guill

The Last Defender by Travis Pearson is about a man named Brent Stevens, a scientist who tries to save humanity from extinction. He finds out that the Socialist government is trying to take over the country by reeducating people to turn them into low wage workers and sex slaves. Brent finds a way to use his mind to make an energy coil weapon to help defeat the government with his new friends who are cartels. The story unfolds to show how Brent Stevens uses his new weapon to try to save humanity and possibly the woman he loves. He gets help from the cartels, even though they are usually known to be the bad guys.

I loved how The Last Defender by Travis Pearson gives us a new point of view on who the bad guy really is. I loved his descriptions and world building; it was pretty graphic. In fact, if you get queasy easily, beware because there is a lot of violence in The Last Defender. I loved the character of Lori; she showed a lot of spunk and smarts. I thought Travis Pearson's use of telekinesis was intriguing and scary at the same time. You almost hope this doesn't happen, though in some ways you do hope it happens. This novel gives you a lot to think about such as how far would you go to save humanity and/or the person you love? I admit it is a bit scary, because of things that are happening today. If you love stories that make you think, then I would definitely recommend The Last Defender.

Grant Leishman

In The Last Defender, author Travis Pearson takes us to an almost dystopian world where a political ideology has taken over the country for the pursuit of their own individual goals of power and wealth. The Socialist, using the country’s deteriorating situation and high unemployment, lies and tricks the electorate to elect him and his party to power. Once in power they ruthlessly set about their plans to rule the country solely for the purpose of their own self-aggrandizement. Businesses are nationalized and management replaced by those who are part of the regime. Brent Stevens, one such manager, once a proud researcher for the good of humanity, is replaced and demoted to a worker on the factory floor. Continuing his research at his home laboratory, Brent discovers a power, utilizing electricity that will give him a decided edge when it comes to protecting those he loves. As he helplessly watches the systematic destruction of civilization, he looks for the little opportunities to strike back when he can. When Brent’s beloved Lori is threatened by the new regime, Brent knows he must act before it is too late.

The Last Defender is an interesting take on a society that has become complacent in its democratic institutions and allows itself to be manipulated by a power-crazy megalomaniac to surrender virtually all of its freedoms (sound strikingly familiar?). Travis Pearson gives us a protagonist who turns from a mild-mannered scientist/researcher into the avenging angel of all of society’s ills. I balked a little at the chief antagonist, the mysterious and enigmatic Socialist. Although it could be argued the tactics employed to subvert democracy were socialistic in tendency, there was little doubt the Socialist’s actions were those of a megalomaniac Fascist in the mould of Hitler, especially the experiments in re-education. That aside, this is a simply written, fast-paced read that does keep you interested and turning the pages. The stereotypical use of Mexican names for the members of the resistance cartel was a little gratuitous but nonetheless, since these guys were fighting for the average, oppressed citizen, this can be forgiven. If you like novels that draw parallels from both history and the current times we face, you’ll certainly enjoy this one, which kept me interested till the very end.